Coin-controlled timing apparatus



July 15, 1952 L. D. SOLLENBERGER COIN-CONTROLLED TIMING APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 1v Filed Sept. 5, 1951 Ihyentnr lesterfl solleafieryer y Attorneys July 15, 1952 D. SOLLENBERGER COIN-CONTROLLED TIMING APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 5, 1951 Inventar:

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COIN-CONTROLLED TIMING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 5, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Fig. '7

Patented July 15, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COIN-CONTROLLED TIIVIIN G APPARATUS Lester D. Sollenberger, Oak Park, Ill.

' Application September 5, 1951, Serial No. 245,234

I (Cl. 16115) 4 Claims. 1

This application relates to coin controlled timing devices; in particular, it concerns an improved apparatus particularly adapted for service as a parking meter.

The particular invention herein described and claimed constitutes an improvement on the apparatus disclosed in U. S. Patent No. 1,799,056, issued to S. L. Miller, et al. on March 31, 1931.

While the principal field of application for the present invention is as a parking meter, the apparatus, it will be understood, may be usefully applied in many other situations, such as in coin-operated radio receivers, etc. Therefore, while the present invention will be discussed herein primarily with reference to its application as a parking meter, it is to be understood that it has other uses as well.

Parking meters have in recent years come into extremely general. use, partly as a revenueraising means and partly to prevent unreasonable use of automobile parking space in congested areas.

The parking meters found in the prior art, of which the instrument described in said U. S. Patent No. 1,799,056 is typical, had an important disadvantage, the correction of which is the primary object of the present invention. That disadvantage consisted in the fact that with such instruments it was possible for an unscrupulous motorist to insert a coin in the parking meter and manipulate the handle through only a part of its cycle of rotation, so as to leave unexpired time indicated on the dial with the clockwork stopped. Such conduct did not give the motorist any legal rights, since the dial showing unexpired time would also display a red flag, which denotes an ordinance violation. Judges, however, have been reluctant to impose fines for parking violations in situations where unexpired time showed on the meter, even though it were accompanied by a red flag, since the motorist could always plead that he had acted in good faith in failing to turn the meter handle through its full cycle.

As a result of the situation just described, policemen as a rulehav'e not attempted to assess fines for meters thus mishandled by motorists but instead have simply turned the handle to complete the cycleof operation when the maladjustment is first observed. That results, of course, in the motorists receiving free parking privileges until the condition of the meter has been noticed and corrected by 'a policeman.

The present invention is directed to the correction of the situationfjust described, and it has, as its outstanding feature, the characteristic that at no time can the meter be caused to show unexpired time on the dial except after the handle has been turned through its full operating cycle. In other words, it is impossible for the present invention to show'unexpired time and at the same time have either a red flag showing or have the clockwork stopped.

With the present invention, therefore, it is impossible for an unscrupulous motorist to cheat" the meter. Unless he has deposited his coin and turned the handle through the complete operating cycle, the meter dial shows a violation flag and a zero time reading. Thus, unless the meter is properly used by the motorist, he is exposed to punishment for violation without his having any excuse based on a claim of good-faith error.

In addition to the principal object of my invention, just described, other objects and advantages reside inthe novel mechanical conformation and arrangement of parts, which will be more fully brought out in the detailed description which follows.

I have shown, in the accompanyingdrawing, an illustrative embodiment of my invention.

Fig. 1 is a front elevation view of my novel parking meter as it appears when removed from its case.

Fig. 2 is a front view, partly in section, of a parking meter made according to my invention, the view being generally similar to that of Fig. 1 except that the instrument is shown with its front panel cut away to show the mechanism behind it.

Both Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 show the instrument with its moving parts in the position which they occupy when the parking time has expired and the overtime or expired flag is showing.

Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing the various parts of the meter and bringing out clearly the manner in which they are interrelated.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view of certain moving parts of my invention showing their relative positions just after a coin has been deposited and the operator has commenced to move the handle of the parking meter through its cycle of rotation.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 except that the parts are shown in the position indicating slight additional movement of the handle by the operator.

Fig. 6 is like Figs. 4 and 5 except that it shows the parts in the position which they assume when the handle has been turnedalmost to the end of its cycle of rotation. p s

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6 showing the position of the parts after the handle has completed its cycle of rotation and has been restored to its normal position of rest.

Fig. 8 shows the beginning of an operation in which an additional coin has been inserted for the purpose of increasing the unexpired time on the meter. Fig. 8 shows the position of the parts when the handle has been moved through a few degrees of its cycle of rotation.

Fig. 9 continues the illustration of the operation started in Fig. 8; in Fig. 9, the parts are shown as they appear when the cycle of rotation has been completed but the handle not yet released.

Fig. 10 shows the position of the parts after the handle has been released and has returned to its normal rest position. The indicator position in Fig. 10 shows that the meter has registered and 7 given credit for the additional coin.

Referring now to the drawing, and particularly Figs. 1-4, it will be noted that my meter is provided with a rigid. framework comprising a front panel lo and apair of supplementary panels or chassis supports denoted II and l2 respectively. Those elements together constitute a rigid framework Whichprovides support for the moving parts of my inventionyelements it, if and H are suitably secured together in rigid relationship by bolts. A time indicator dial [3 is supported by the frame between members H and I2.

A handle IQ iscarried on the outside or forward face of front panel I 8 and is keyed by a set screw, pin, or other suitable means to a'shaft l5, journaled in a suitable bearing, it carried by front panel it. -At its rear extremity, shaft f5 carries, and is keyed to, a coin carrier member ll equipped with coin-operated cam fingers I8, designed for cooperation with winding wheel 28. Front panel in is also provided with a coinreceiving device 2| containing slots through which coins of suitable denominations may be introduced into corresponding slots 22 in coin carrier l7.

The mechanism of thepresent. invention. employed to accomplish rotation: of winding wheel 28 through varying degrees of'rotationresponsively to deposit of coins of different denominations is substantially identical to that described indetailin said USS. Patent No. 1,799,056. Accordingly, no detailed description of? its manner of operation is believed necessary here, since it forms no part of the present invention and is not claimed herein. The reader, therefore, is referred to said U. S. Patent No.-1,799',0'56 for a full description of said coin-operated mechanism including the cooperative action of said coin carrier l! and said winding wheel 20.

To the extent that movement of the coin carrier. H affects the operations of the other moving parts of the present invention, it will of course be treated in detail herein. Coin carrier I! is held normally in a horizontal position by a strong coil spring 23 seated between a seat 2 5 on coin carrier I! and a seat 25 carried by frame member H. Spring 23 is the strongest of the biasing springs employed in my invention.

When it is in its rest position, as shown in Fig. 2, coin carrier l1 rests upon a lever pin 28 carried by a pivoted shaft 2'la, the ends of which are respectively journaled into bearings carried by frame members II and [2 respectively. Rigidly joined to, or integrally cast with, shaft 27a is an elongated flag element 21, normally colored red. and having an elongated vertical arm portion and anenlarged .tab or flat roundedportion at its upper extremity. Member 21 will sometimes be referred to herein as the trouble flag. As will be more fully understood when the description has progressed further, trouble flag 2? does not appear in the space immediately below indicator dial l3 except when coin carrier ii is at a position other than its rest position. Normally, therefore, trouble flag 21 is retracted and is not visible externally of the meter except during the period in which handle M5 is being rotated following a coin insert-ion.

A second flag member 28 is keyed to a short shaft 29 pivoted in suitable hearings on members H and I2 immediately above the bearings which receive shaft 21a. Flag 28, which will herein sometimes be called the expired-time flag, is also provided with a flat tab-like upper extremity and an elongated shank portion. The shank portions of flags 21 and 28 are so formed that when both flags are in their'retracted positions, as shown in Figs. '7 and 10, their tab portions are substantially in registration. Extending inward from shaft 29, at substantially right angles to the lower end of the shank portion of, flag 28 is an arm 3| which. carries at itsextremity a, small. pin 32 which functions as a carnfoll'ower, incooperation with cam surface 33 on control". wheel. 35. Control wheel 35, as may be clearly seen from. Fig. 3, is pinned, riveted, or otherwisesecured to winding wheel 28 so as to turn therewith. Cam. surface 33 comprises a narrow flange extending around most of the circumference, of control wheel 35 but having at least one gap therein. The relative positions of wheel 35 and flag 28. are such, when the apparatus has been assembled, that follower 32 will ride on. cam surface 33 when flag 28 is retracted, and when follower 32 reaches the gap in cam surface 33; flag 28 will thereupon turn on its pivot, unlessotherwise prevented, and rise to the position shown. in Fig. 2, from which it is visible externally of the meter. Coil spring 38 joins flag 28 and frame member II, urging flag 28 upward toward its advanced or externally visible position.

At a point immediately below shaft 29, flagv 28 is provided with a mating surface 38 adapted for cooperation with a corresponding surface 3'! formed into flag 2! immediately adjacent shaft 27a. Flags 21' and 28, as assembled, interrelate surfaces38 and 31 so as to prevent expired-time flag 28 from being raised at the sametime as trouble flag 21. That is, when trouble flag 21' is raised, surfaceSl engages surface 36'and forces flag23 to rotate on its shaft to its'retracted position. Trouble flag 2.! is urged toward-its raised or visible position by a coil spring 38 which is considerably stronger than the coil spring 38 which governs flag 28. Coil spring38', however,

is not as strong as the spring23 which urges coin. carrier l'l toward i'tsrest position.

From the foregoing, taken in connection with the drawing, it will be observed that whenever handle M is in its normal position, as shown in Fig. 1, coin carrier I1 will be resting in its normal position and forcing lever 28 downward as shown in Fig. 2. Thus trouble flag '21 will at all such j times be retracted despitespring; 38; since spring 23 is a substantially stronger spring than spring 38. Under theconditions just described, expiredtime flag 28 mayormay not be retracted. ,de-

sition, however, coin carrier I1 will be moved away from lever 26 and spring 38 and thus be free to move troublefiag 21 upward. Rise .of trouble flag 21 will cause surfaces36 and 31 to engage and thus immediately. compel retraction of expired-time flag 28. I

From the foregoing itwill be seen, that flags 21 and 28 can never be'in advanced position at the same time, although they can be retracted simultaneously. I

An indicator needle 4| is pivoted at its lower end in bearings provided by the frame members. Its orientation, of course, is such that the point of the needle appears immediately under and in the same plane with .the scale on indicator dial i3. Indicator dial |3 will normally be calibrated in minutes, and a light coil spring 42 urges needle 4| in the direction of full-scale reading. That is, in the absence of some other restraining force, needle 4| will normally read the maximum number of minutes marked on the scale.

:Indicating needle 4| carries an arm 43 extending at an obtuse angle to the main shank of the indicating needle and carrying near its extremity a cam follower 44. Follower 44 is adapted to cooperate with a cam- 46 mounted for rotation coaxially with control wheel 35 and pinned to wheel 35 by means of an axially projecting pin 33a passing through an aperture 46a in cam 46. Cam 46 presents to follower 44 a gently-curved surface so formed that counterclockwise rotation of cam 46 forces counterclockwise rotation of indicating needle 4|, the direction of rotation being taken as observed in Fig. 2, and the curved surface of cam 46., extends over suflicient are that follower 44 remains in contact with such surface even when needle 4| has been moved to its extreme counter-clockwise position-that is, to the position at which it indicates zero time.

A slottedlink 5| is pivoted at one end to the shank of indicating needle 4|, at a-point 52 intermediate the indicator pivot and the arrow terminal. The elongated slot 53 in link 5| rides on a pin 54 carried by the shank of flag member 21.

The lengths of link 5| and slot 53 are so proportionedthat whenever flag 21 is raised to its advanced, visible position, as shown in Figs. 4, 5, 6, 8 and 9, indicator 4| is pulled to the extreme left-hand side of scale |3 (as viewed in Fig. 4). Thus indicator 4| always shows zero time whenever trouble flag 21 is up. 7

Whenever flag 21 is down, (for example, see Figs. 7. and 10), link 5| isfree to slide back and forth on pin 54, with the result that the movement. of indicator 4| is'substantially unimpeded by link 5| and flag 21.

Since the force exerted by spring 38 is much greater than that exerted by spring 42, flag 21 can always control the motion of indicator 4|; that is, whenever coin carrier I1 is not resting on lever 26, flag 21 will always rise and'at the same time will pull indicator 4| back to zero-time position.

Control wheel 35, winding wheel 20, and cam 46 are all carried on ashaft 55-which is journaled into the frame of a conventional clockwork mechanism 56. Shaft 55, it will be understood, is coupled to the clockwork mechanism by a suitable friction coupling which can slip to permit manual setting of the control wheel 35 but which will transmit more than adequate torque to drive control wheel 35 and its associated parts. Such friction couplings are conventional in clockwork mechanisms (to permit manual setting of hands,

, Operation In describing the operation of my invention, I shall first assume that it has been allowed to run down-th at is, that the previous user has exhausted the parking time for which he paid and that the newly arrived motorist finds the meter showing zero time.

Under those conditions, the meter will have the external appearance indicated in Fig. 1, needle 4| indicating zero time and expired-time flag 28 being up.

Fig. 2 shows in greater detail the position 01' the parts under those conditions. Control wheel 35 will be at its zero time position, whereat follower 32 will have overrun the edge of cam surface 33. Under those conditions, spring 30 will havepulled flag 28 upward into view as shown in Fig. l. Flag 21 will of course be down, since. coin carrier |1;will be resting on lever 26, and powerful spring 23 will force flag 21 into retracted position despite the counter-force of spring 38. When the motorist deposits a coin into slot 2|, it willdrop into the appropriate slot in coin carrierl1. The motorist will then grasp handle l4 and rotate it in a clockwise direction. As soon as coin carrier |1 moves off of lever 25, spring 38 will cause flag 21 to rise, andsimultaneously therewith surface 31 will engage surface 36-and force flag 28 down. When that occurs, follower 32 is immediately moved outward to a point beyond the rim of control wheel 35, so that when flag 28 is released following clockwise rotation of wheel 35, follower 32 will press upon cam surface 33. which will then hold flag 28 down in'retracted position so long as unexpired time remains on the meter.

As clockwise movement of the handle continues, coin carrier |1 will pick up winding Wheel 20 at a predetermined point, depending on the denomination of the coin inserted, and will thereupon carry with it winding wheel 20, control wheel 35, and cam 46 through the remainder of the cycle of clockwise rotation. (The details of the structure by which coin carrier |1 actuates winding wheel 20 are, as heretofore noted, fully disclosed in U. S. Patent No. 1,799,-

4 When the meter was in time-expired position, indicator M was, it will be understood, held in zero-time position by the pressure of cam 46 against the follower 44. (See Fig. 2.) As handle -4 isrotated by the motorist, cam 46 is moved in a clockwise direction through a predetermined arc, depending upon the denomination of the coin inserted, and as a result is moved out of engagement with follower 44. So long as handle I4. is away from its normal position of rest, however, indicator 4| will remain at zero-time position despite the movement of cam 46, however, because flag 21 will be up and link 5| will under those conditions hold indicator 4| against movement. 1 v p q Should the motorist fail torotate handle |4 througlrits fullcycle, the meter will show zero time and will also display red flag 21.

When the handle l4 has been rotated to the limit of its clockwise movement, the coin will drop from the coin carrier into the coin receptacle inotshown and handle l4 will thereupon be free to;v return to itsrest position as soon as it is released by the motorist. 1 When the handle has thus returned to its normal position, as shown in Fig. 1, coin-carrier- II will rest upon lever 26 and-"force fiag z'l baokto its retracted position. Lowering of flag 21' will-release indicator 41, since pin 54 will ride up slot 53. Spring 42 will then cause indicator 4| to move clockwise until follower '44 comes into engagementwith-cani '55:. The number of minutes indicated by'needlel l under those conditionswill depend, of coursecn the magnitude of the arc throughwhich cam 46has moved, andthat arc, in turn, will depend on the denomination of the coin inserted. j

Clockwork will thereupon cause counterclockwise rotation 'ofshaft 55 and control wheel 35. Wheel 35, by means of pin an, will carry cam at with it as it-tur-ns.- As time passes cam at will force indicator H steadily to the left until, when the number of minutes purchased has elapsed, the needle will be forced back to zero. The relative positions of control wheel 35 and cam as are such that shortly after needle 65 has returned to zero cam surface 33 will move beyond follower 32, leaving spring 33 free to pull expiredftime flag 28 upward into the position shown in Figsl and2.

The operation just described is shown in some detail in Figs. 5-7- inclusive; Fig. 5 shows the parts in the-positionthey occupy when coin ca-rrier H hasjust-started o n -its cycle of movement; Fig. 6 shows the position of the parts as coin carrier 17- has neared the extreme limit of its movement; and Fig. 7 shows the position of the parts after coin carrier I! has completed its cycle and has been allowed to return to its rest position. -It will be noted from Fig. '7 that indicator t! has movedtothe right from its zero position and indicates unexpired time.

Figs. 8-10 -show-the behavior of the apparatus when a coin-is placed in the meter to purchase additional time when unexpired time still remains on the meter. Fig. '7 illustrates the starting condition-both flags downand unexpired time showing: When-a coin is deposited and movement of handle l4 commenced, trouble flag Zlrises and indicator 4| immediately returns to zero. This'condition is shown in Fig. 8. The zero indication by-needle 41 continues until the full cycle of movement of the coin carrier I! has been completed- Fig. 9 shows the position of the parts just before coin carrier I1 is allowed to return to its rest position. Rotation of coin carrier ll through its entire cycle will, of course, have rotated winding wheel 20, control wheel 35, and cam 36' through a predetermined'arc in the clockwise direction, the amount of are depending on the denomination of the coin used. When coin carrier [1 has returned to its'rest position, asshown'in Fig. 10, needle 4| will immediately move to the right under the impetus of spring 42 and will show the original time'plus as many additional minutes as have been purchased by the newlyinserted coin, since carn-46 will have been rotated clockwise from its former position by the number of additional degrees consistent with the denomination of the coin.

Ihe significant point, from the standpoint'of the present invention, is that throughout the adjustment process the indicator 4! showed zero time, notwithstanding the fact that the meter actually had unexpired time stored in the position of cam 46. Thus with the present invention it is impossible 'in-any situation to have unexpired-time showingonthe meter without having the handle innormal position and the clockwere free to move the: indicator backtowards zero in the. regular manner.

While I have, for purposes of illustration, describedin considerable detail a particular embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that such embodiment is exemplary only, and that the scope of my invention is to be determined primarily with reference to the appended claims;

I claim:

1. In a timing device, an indicator mounted for movement; through a predetermined path, saidf indicator carrying a. follower, resilient means urging said indicator along said path in one direction, a cam mounted for movement adjacentsaid' indicator, said cam being oriented suificiently near. said indicator to permit said cam to: engage saidf'ollower throughout said path of movement of said indicator, engagementbetween said and said. follower being operative to prevent said indicator from moving responsively to the force of said resilient means, clockwork meansinea'ns linking said clockwork means and said cam for moving the same at a predetermined rate in. thedirection to move said indicator along its path of movement against the force or said resilient means, a movable setting device for said 'camfor changing the relative positions of said cam and said clockwork means, said settingdevice having a quiescent normal position, and means operative responsively to movementlofthe setting device from its normal position tomove said indicator to the limit of its pathagainst the force oi said resilient means and to hold' the same there-while saidsetting means isaw'ay from "its normal position.

2. In atiming device, a calibrated scale hav ing a zero position,' an indicator mounted for movement' along saidscale in cooperation therewith, said indicator 'carryinga follower, resilient means urging said indicator away from said zero position, acamfn'iount'ed for movement adjacent said indicator,- said cam being oriented sufliciently near said indicator to permit said cam to engage said follower at any position of saidindicator along said-scale, engagement between said cam and said follower being operative to prevent said indicator from-moving away from the zero position responsively to;the force of said resilient means, clockwork means, means linking-said clockwork means and said cam for moving the same at a predetermined rate'in the direction tending tomaintainthecam in engagement with said followerand thereby tomove said indicator toward the zero position, a movable setting device for said camfor-changing the relative'positions of said cam and said clockwork means, said setting device having a quiescent normal position, and means operative responsively to movement of the'setting device from its normal position to force saidihdicator to the zero position and to hold'the same there "while said setting. means is awayirom its normal position.

3. Ina timing device, a calibrated scale having a zero position, an indicator pivoted for rotary movement along said scale, said indicator carrying a followeix' ajbiasing spring seated on said indicatorand urging the" same away from said zero position, camjniounted adjacentsaid intheater for rotary movement, said cam being oriented sufficiently near said indicator to permit said cam to engagesaid followerat any positionof said-indicatoron said scale, engagement between'said cam and said follower being operative to pr ev'ent-said-indic ator from moving away from said zero positionresponsively to the force of said spring, clockwork means, means coupling said clockwork means and said cam for rotating said cam at a predetermined rate in the direction tending to maintain said cam in engagement with said follower and to move said indicator toward said zero position, a movable setting device for said cam for changing the relative angular positions of said cam and said clockwork means, said setting device having a quiescent normal position, and means operative responsively to movement of the setting device from its normal position to move said indicator to the zero position against the-iorce of said spring and to hold the same there while said setting means is away from its normal position.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the means last mentioned therein comprises a pivoted flag having an up position and a down position, spring means tending to urge said flag into its up position, a lever carried by said flag normally in engagement with said setting means REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,799,056 Miller et a1 Mar. 31, 1931 2,005,635 Randolph June 18, 1935 2,070,445 Miller et al Feb. 9, 1937 

